How many of you know of families IRL who have 8+ children?

[Shelbelle7]

We are expecting our little #8 in January. Dh and I were talking about big families that we know IRL. I could only think of one that we know of (don't really know directly) that has 8 kids. We know about 3 families with 7 kids. We don't know any family IRL that has more than 8. It made us feel a little odd-ballish. AND, it made me wonder how many of you know families IRL who have 8+ kids.

[Marie in Oh]

is a mother of 9.

 

There are quite a few in our homeschool group with 8+.

 

Thanks for making me feel like our family is smallish. ;)

 

Congrats on #8.

[tinag]

I don't know of any. I know several families that have 6 or 7 kids.

Congratulations! I think 8 is great!

[sassenach]

When we lived in Florida I personally knew 2 families of 12 and one family of 8. Here in California I've met 2 families of 7, but none any higher.

[Quiver0f10]

I personally know of many, many familes with 8+ kids. A few with 12-15 and even a few with over 17 and no, I don't mean the Duggars :)

[Ellie]

Does it matter if this family lives in another state and I've only met them IRL once, but have known them on-line since there were only 8?

 

And who can imagine ever thinking "only 8"??:D

[Brindee]

There are a couple of families near here with 8 and we know one family with 10.

 

Really--12+? 15? 17? WOW! I only "know" the Duggars that have that many (and more)!

[mazakaal]

I voted that I know a family that has 8 kids (my aunt had 8), but I do know a few adults who come from very large families. I just don't remember exactly how many (10-12ish). And I know a family that has 7 kids, and another that's expecting their 7th any minute. We only have 4dc. Don't feel odd-ballish, though. When I was a kid, I always looked at my aunt's family and wished that we had a family as big. I only had one brother, and a big family looked like a lot of fun. We would have more kids except that after my 4th I've only had miscarriages. Hey, if you count the miscarriages, then I have 8! Okay, I know that doesn't really count.

 

Blessings,

Megan

[clwcain]

I voted "other", because I can't count. :D

 

We know several families in real life with at least 8 kids. But I couldn't tell you how many they have.

 

My step-dad is one of 11, and we've met several large families through the Church.

[missplacedalaskan]

We know of one family with 10 children. But, I am #2 of 11 kids in my family. My little brother is 17.

[Anne]

I know lots of families with many children. I can think of 9 or 10 families offhand that have eight or more children - three of them have 11 apiece (one may be up to a dozen now).

 

I, however, have only two...

 

Anne

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

I know at least 4 families with more than 8 kids. One has 11.

[milovany]

We know lots of families with 8+ children (we are "small" with "only" seven!).

 

We were good friends with the Jeub family, who were featured in the TLC series "Kids By The Dozen" a year and a half ago, when we lived in Colorado. They have 14 kids now. They're AWESOME! And their book "Love in the House" is a great read.

[gardening momma]

I know a family with "just" 7 kids :tongue_smilie: I don't know any families with more than that.

[AFwife Claire]

When we moved here to Northern VA (D.C. suburbs) a few years ago, I didn't expect to find any big families here. I was so surprised to find a huge enclave I guess you'd call it in our homeschool co-op! I now know many families with over 7, including one with 10, and I don't feel at all weird about expecting #7! It really amazed me though, because I just assumed everyone here would fall into the materialism trap with the huge house and 1, maybe 2, kids and a nanny. Not true at all! The big families have been such an encouragement to our family.

 

Congratulations!

[Philothea]

14 is the biggest I have ever met, I don't really enjoy spending time with them, so I avoid them. Of the people that we are close with, 9 seems to be the big number, but most of our friends, in fact all of them have 4 or more.

 

We're tiny, by comparision.

[TammyinTN]

My Dad was a child of a family of 12 children. I don't know how my Grandmother did it. I loved the stories she would tell. I think big families are fun!:001_smile:

[angela in ohio]

I know several with 8 and a few with 9. I can't even count the number I know with 6 or 7 dc.

[Carrie12345]

Dh's aunt raised 12 (a combination of his, hers and theirs). His cousin has 5 small children and an adult stepchild.

Other than that... my grandmother was one of 6. She had 5, but only raised 3 to adulthood (one adopted, one died at age 2.)

 

If you add up my step-siblings on both sides, I'm one of 8, but was raised as the oldest of 3. My parents each remarried when I was in my 20's. (I've been married longer than my mom and step-dad! :D)

 

I'm pretty much the "freak" in my real life circles, and that's with only 4!

 

ETA- My neighbor is one of 12, and throws really big parties, lol.

[RebeccaC]

I am the oldest of 8 children so I grew up in a large family. Our pastor has 7 kids and there a folks in our church, co-op, hs group with 8 or more kids. My youngest sister has 5 kids and she is not done having kids. In our circle of friends and aquaitences we have a small family.

[dymphna57]

I know more than six families with eight children or more than eight, mostly home educated but not all. Can't say we managed more than seven keepers.

I am priviledged to know a lovely family of 14, who always make me feel ashamed at what a motley crew mine look. They are all so supportive of each other, all high achievers, athletic, cute, and since their dad is one of nine, they just think it is normal .

It is great that people feel comfortable having the children they want and not to feel as if they are personally responsible for the hole in the ozone layer. Big familes are great at reducing, reusing and recycling and believe that people have come up with the solutions to the worlds problems.

[WTMCassandra]

We know a few families with eight or more children. Almost invariably they are GREAT! My children enjoy just folding in and participating. I really like large families.

[Osmosis Mom]

I have seven kids and while we are doing great then I have absolutely no idea what I'd do with a few more. Seriuosly. Does mother get any time to just thing? We love our kids and might get one more to keep baby brother from being Mr. Spoiled, but we did have a six year gap between numbers 6 and then 7.

 

I have not met anyone with more than 7 kids and no homeschoolers although I know they exist, just haven't run into them. I am definitely an oddity in our circles, having all those kids, but so be it!!!!

[fivetails]

oops, I voted for the 9 because I know one family in our provincial hs group that has 9, but I forgot to consider my relatives - my maternal grandmother and my maternal grandfather both come from big families ...there was 13 kids on one side and 14 on the other, I believe. :)

[charlotteb]

My mom is one of 17 children! Of course, this was the 1930 thru 1950s that they were born. But it is so neat! I have nearly 100 first cousins and countless 2nd cousins.

[jmgconner]

I don't know any large families IRL. However, my oldest DS has 7 half-siblings and 1 step-sibling, making him 1 of 9. (We have 4, his Dad has 5).

[hsmamainva]

I have a good friend who has 8 children.

 

Through a mutual friend, I've met a family with 12 children.

 

And a good friend of my oldest daughter is the oldest of 8 children.

[Sunshine State Sue]

You probably mean now-a-days, but I am one of 8 siblings (yes, Catholic) and one of my sisters married a man who is one of 10 siblings (yes, Catholic and from Italy - 1/2 his family is still there).

[Kalypso]

I have 2 different friennds who have 10 kids each and another good friend with 9. Our family of almost 6 seems small around them.:)

[Dani n Monies Mom]

My dad is the thirteenth of nineteen children.

[~Tara~]

A professor at hub's Bible college had 9..I haven't heard of any additions...that was 7 yrs ago or more.

Then there are two BMX families that each have 8 or more. I forget for sure now. I know them but don't *know* them. We're still GETTING to know them...visits are scattered among races. One family lives upstate the other upcountry :p

Do those count?

All great kids. Amazing to me that with a crew that big the kids are all just fabulous! You'd think it would seem more chaotic.

I guess folks think the same about us, having six, that it *should* be chaotic..but it's not. Not to us and others have said as much.

Anyway, rambling...can you tell I just had some chocolate? :p

[elegantlion]

My mother is one of 8.

[Sarah CB]

We personally know one family with 8 (they are friends of ours), one family with 11 (I work with the dh), one family with 12 (the eldest two girls used to babysit for us - best babysitters ever!), and one family that I think has thirteen (I know them through our homeschool support group). We also know a number of families with 5 and 6 kids. I feel like I have "only four" when I'm in homeschooling circles.

[Amie]

I am the oldest of 9. We have a blast when we get together. :001_smile: We know of a few other "big" families, but aren't that close to any right now.

[Sasharowan]

My dh is one of 12.

[klmama]

A family at my church has 10 kids. They said they were done after the fifth child. Then another one came, and they said they were done. Then another, and another, and another, and another. Each time they said they were done. Now they have ten. They might be done. She's only 40, though, so... we'll see. :)

[StaceyinLA]

I have a good friend with 11, and one of my closest friends has 10. There are 2 families in our big hs group that have 12. There is a family that used to be in our AWANA group with 12. I know one family with 9 (I will admit that they probably should have NONE due to serious neglect issues). I know a family with 8 (in fact, I think there are several families with 8 in the large hs group). There is another AWANA group family that had 8 when they left our AWANA church for one closer to home (they could have a couple more by now).

 

Yeah, I'd say we know some pretty big families. There are at least a couple of those I find exceptional in the way their kids behave and have been raised. One is abhorrent (as noted above). A couple I don't know well enough to judge, and the rest are what I'd call "normal." (as in they have typical real-life problems with their kids, but nothing horrible)

 

edited: I guess I could add that my kids' grandma (my ex mil) was one of 14 kids. Oddly, many of them grew up to have only one, or no, children. I think they have a rough upbringing but she never shared a whole lot about it.

[newlifemom]

I voted that I know a family that has 8 kids (my aunt had 8), but I do know a few adults who come from very large families. I just don't remember exactly how many (10-12ish). And I know a family that has 7 kids, and another that's expecting their 7th any minute. We only have 4dc. Don't feel odd-ballish, though. When I was a kid, I always looked at my aunt's family and wished that we had a family as big. I only had one brother, and a big family looked like a lot of fun. We would have more kids except that after my 4th I've only had miscarriages. Hey, if you count the miscarriages, then I have 8! Okay, I know that doesn't really count.

 

Blessings,

Megan

 

It does to me.:grouphug:

[swellmomma]

I am friends with 2 ladies in church, one has 9 kids the other 10. They are SIL's. The brother of one of thoe ladies, whom I have not yet met, has 14. Family gatherings certainly are interesting for them with 34 kids just between the 3 families.

[Tap]

My step-FIL is one of 22. Many were given up for adoption.

 

We have several friends who have 10 and at least one 10+ in our homeschool group.

 

P.S. I am the baby of 9 :0)

[Amy in Orlando]

My two best friends growing up were both from families of 8. I know, not well, but we're friendly two families with 8 and 9 kids.

 

Congratulations on your new addition!

[Closeacademy]

I know one with 11, and I think 2 or 3 others who are on 8 plus. :001_smile:

[CookieMonster]

I know three families personally who have more than 8 children: all of them older relatives.

 

The first one I thought of was my father. He is the fourth of nine children.

 

Then, after I picked "I know one family with 9 children" I remembered my Grandmother and Grandfather.

 

Grandma was the 14th of 15 and Grandpa was the oldest of 14(?).

 

You know what's really funny? My father's parents came from small families. My father's father has two siblings. My father's mother had one sibling.

 

Oh, and actually I know another! My MIL was the youngest of 14 (11 surviving past toddlerhood).

[Carrie12345]

I don't know any large families IRL. However, my oldest DS has 7 half-siblings and 1 step-sibling, making him 1 of 9. (We have 4, his Dad has 5).

 

Lol, I forgot about ds. He's one of 6 (two brothers at his dad's, 2 sisters and a brother here.)

[Carrie12345]

 

Yeah, I'd say we know some pretty big families. There are at least a couple of those I find exceptional in the way their kids behave and have been raised. One is abhorrent (as noted above). A couple I don't know well enough to judge, and the rest are what I'd call "normal." (as in they have typical real-life problems with their kids, but nothing horrible)

 

edited: I guess I could add that my kids' grandma (my ex mil) was one of 14 kids. Oddly, many of them grew up to have only one, or no, children. I think they have a rough upbringing but she never shared a whole lot about it.

 

Maybe this is why I'm so drawn to tv shows about large families. I would really like to have a great big family, but our 4 often seem so overwhelming. And I think dh is put off by the fact that his cousins have... "issues."

 

I've met 11 of the 12 cousins, and they all seem like extremely good-hearted people, but 10 of the 11 are quite rough around the edges, so to speak. Dh definitely attributes that to their being so many. Experience certainly colors choice.

 

Now, if I could just get him to watch some of these shows about happy big families! If we should ever meet one IRL, I'm afraid I might glom on to them like a scary stalker. (Any volunteers?) :lol:

 

P.S. As much as my grandmother loves my kids, she's sometimes apalled by what I consider "normal" kid exuberance. As the eldest of 6, she and her siblings were trained to sit quietly, lined up by age, with their hands in their laps while their mother visited with neighbors. And they did, without fail.

 

P.P.S. I consider my great-grandmother, who had all 6 of those kids in 7 years (starting in 1928, of all times), a saint. I wish I had been able to meet her. :D

[Nicole M]

The family that we know always introduce themselves by saying we have 8 children, 6 living. It's a heart breaker, but because that is how they self-identify, I voted, yes, we know a family with 8. In their hearts, they have 8.

[Lori in MS]

I am close friends with several families who have 8 or more children. One has 12, and another one is expecting their 13th soon. My sil is the youngest of 10

 

All of the large families that I have met are great to be around. We have a lot of fun with them. They are also hardworking and well mannered.

[Lisa in Jax]

They had three bios, then adopted 18 more kids over time. Not all of them are still at home, of course. At the moment, they have 14 kids, aged 2 to 18, at home.

 

Lsia

[6packofun]

LOL I think it's funny that you didn't feel "oddball-ish" at 7 but one more seals the deal for you being odd! :tongue_smilie: You'll just be the family with the most kids--there's one in every family, church and community! lol

[4kids4me]

My SIL has 11 and my close friend has 8. We're done at 4.